The faces of a couple, known to have embezzled 6.2 billion won in deposits from 90 tenants while fleeing to the United States and living a luxurious lifestyle, have been made public.
On the 13th, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released photos of the couple, identified only as Mr. Nam and Ms. Choi, who were repatriated to Korea on the 19th of last month. They were wanted in Korea on fraud charges and were arrested through the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Seattle office.
They are known to have committed rental fraud in Daejeon from April 2019 to April 2023. 'Can'(a type of rental fraud) refers to a situation where the collateral and tenant's deposit exceed the actual value of the property. This couple is accused of deceiving 90 people looking to sign rental agreements into believing they would receive their deposits back in full, embezzling 6.2 billion won. One victim, a 50-year-old man, is reported to have taken his life in June of last year after being defrauded of 80 million won in deposit.
Initially, victims who fell for the rental scam presumed that the couple had entered the United States around March 2023, but they are known to have lawfully entered the U.S. through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on August 19, 2022. Ms. Nam's sister lives in Atlanta, and the couple is believed to have led a luxurious life in an upscale Atlanta neighborhood, sending their son to a fencing club.
The Korean National Police Agency requested a red notice for the couple from Interpol in December of last year, which was promptly issued. After the red notice was issued, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) worked with Korean authorities to secure the couple. The Department of Homeland Security revoked their J1 (cultural exchange) visas.
As authorities and victims tightened their investigation, the couple fled from Atlanta to Seattle. However, information about Ms. Nam's sister became known online, and there were sightings reported of the suspect couple.
The police obtained intelligence about their residence and urgently requested cooperation from the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the agency responsible for deportations in the U.S. After two months of surveillance, the suspects were apprehended. Subsequently, the federal immigration court ordered Mr. Nam and Ms. Choi to voluntarily depart on November 7 and 8, respectively, and they were repatriated to Korea last month on a commercial flight under the escort of the ERO Seattle team and Korean officials.